MIND JACKER

The assembly of the Fole Arte Exhibition.

2012-02-11T05:42:00.017-02:00

Yesterday was the assembly and the vernissage of the Fole Arte exhibition.

It was a cool and smooth vernissage with live music, experimental movies, my pictures, many funky folk and good talks! Therefore a cool evening! I wanted to shoot some analoge photos of the vernissage, but I think I shot only ten pictures...

But of course before this was the assembly ;)

At home:

At the Fole Studio:

The Palimpsest-Error-Files!

2012-02-08T17:28:00.004-02:00

The best way to bring something to perfection is the trial-and-error method.
And of course to make a good photographic palimpsest isn't such easy as it seems.

Today I show two palimpsests which are trash.
At the first I chose the wrong picture, because you can't recognize what it shows. In this case it's a statue:
"horror", brasil, 2012

Here the picture:

And at the second palimpsest something was wrong with the paper or the printer:
"pago", brasil, 2012

The picture:

More pictures of these statues here!

battle the industry!

2012-02-04T15:46:00.011-02:00

Today a simple palimpsest, which everybody can do at home!
Everyone has got at home forms, user manuals and other paper what lies around without utility.
I've used a warranty card in Portuguese from any machine.

I've printed the picture "iron fist #1" on the warranty card. I shot this picture in 2005 at the Südfriedhof near The Monument to the Battle of the Nations (German: Völkerschlachtdenkmal) in Leipzig, Germany. The picture shows the statue of the Memorial for the Victims of Fascism (German: Denkmal für die Opfer des Faschismus).

Here the sandwich version:

And here the scan from the print:
"descrição dos problemas apresentados" with the picture "iron fist #1"

In 2006 I made a photo montage with the picture "iron fist #1" and a picture which I shot at the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, Germany in 2004:

"kampf der industrie", germany, 2006

An old and broken frame.

2012-02-04T00:29:00.005-02:00

Two years ago I found a broken frame in the botanic garden in Timbó, near the barbecue area. Perhaps some folk used it to kindle the fire. I don't know, but I took the remains along.
I put them in the tool shed and forgot the frame for a long time. But yesterday as I tidied up the shed I found the pieces and decided to repair the frame.
Here we go!
I needed to cut the parts a little bit, but now I've got a wonderful panoramic frame in the size (picture size) 39x11 cm.
Yes, the size is a little bit unusual :)

Now I have to finish my DIY panoramic camera ;)

The preparations for the Fole Arte exhibition.

2012-02-03T20:40:00.018-02:00

An exhibition signifies a lot of work before the vernissage happens. For the organizer means this to promote and, of course, to organize the exhibition. A part of this is to write to the media, like news papers, therewith they publish a report. Yesterday, 02.02.2012, was a report about the exhibition in the Jornal de Santa Catarina (see the multimedia part) in the rubric "Lazer".
But the journalist made two mistakes. First the exhibition won't be in Itajaí, but in Blumenau. The second mistake is, that the credit of my picture got another person. But of course, it is my picture. I have got the copyright for this picture, because I shot it!

But okay, as artist I've got many things to do for the exhibition, like to choose the pictures I'll show, then to go to a laboratory that they print the pictures, then to choose the frames.
Some days ago I was at MADESP in Benedito Novo. The company is a lumbermill and has got a large factory for wooden frames. I had the pleasure to choose between hundreds of frames, it was great. I chose wooden frame strips in the used look. I think this style harmonises very good with the pictures I'll show!

After this I was with the wooden frame strips and the pictures at a glasser, who also makes frames.
And here they are:

I love these frames! :)

FOLE ARTE - EXHIBITION.

2012-01-28T20:49:00.011-02:00

* Exposição fotográfica c/ Fabricio Schmidt
* Mostra de filmes experimentais por OpiópticA
* Músicas de Outsider Broadcast

Vernissage:
Friday, 10.02.2012, 19:00
Entrance fee: R$ 8,00

Opening hours:
13.02. - 02.03.2012
Monday - Friday:
14:00 - 17:00

Location:
Fole Studio
Rua Iguaçú, n° 314
Bairro Itoupava Seca
(Perto do Campus 3 da FURB, rua da fábrica da Cremer)
Blumenau - SC
Brasil
Here the Map

6 Pfennig for a Picolé.

2012-01-28T11:21:00.009-02:00

Once more a palimpsest.
But this doesn't belong to the series "palimpsest" or "palimpsest 2.0".

The old letter:

The Photoshop sandwich:

The original scan:
"6 pfennig" with the photo "back at home 2010"

I pimped a little bit the picture frame for the picture, because it was too boring. I used the nail enamel Avon ColorTrend Cremosa in the color "picolé" to paint the frame. Yes I know, it is unusual to use nail enamel for paint work, but the glance is really nice ;)

Palimpsest 2.0 - part 3

2012-01-27T14:59:00.012-02:00

Now the third and last part of Palimpsest 2.0. See here part1 and here part 2.

Here I printed on a postcard from 1980, which Uncle Wilhelm wrote to his relatives. He went on vacation in the nice Lipperland, a region in Germany. His afterword is: "Briefmarke für Heinrich", in english: "stamp for Heinrich".

Here the sandwich version with Photoshop:

And here is the scan of the printing image:
"briefmarke für heinrich" with the photo "give the guns out"

"give the guns out", germany, 2006

In 2006 I made some sandwich experiments with Photoshop and an old postcard from 1911 and the same picture:

I only made these experiments with Photoshop and didn't print the pictures on the old postcard, because I was afraid to damage this wonderful very old postcard.

Palimpsest 2.0 - part 2

2012-01-27T13:23:00.005-02:00

This is the second picture of Palimpsest 2.0 (see here part 1 and here part 3).

Once more I printed a photo of a statue on an old and used paper. In this case it is an old letter from 1949 of the finance authority of the German city Mönchengladbach. There are two stamps on the letter, a solidarity stamp for Berlin and a stamp with the Cologne Cathedral.

Here the Photoshop version (sandwich):

And here is the scan of the printing image:
"wiedereinsetzung in den vorigen stand" with the photo "come my girl #8"

Palimpsest 2.0

2012-01-25T01:59:00.012-02:00

After I made the Palimpsest Series, I wanted to make a new picture with a bank note background. But now I haven't used only bank notes from Brazil, but also notes from Italy, Croatia, the Netherlands, Indonesia and Portugal.

Here the scan of the background:

Of course, you can make the rest with Photoshop, but for me something is missing here:

And here is the scan of the printing image, which has got more "life", more "spirit", more "tension":

"twee en een halve" with the photo "the yearning Snow White #1"

Yes, my printer makes what he wants. Everytime I set it right, but later nothing is correct. But this is the artful trick! Before the ink was dry, I made some corrections with wet kitchen paper, for example the rose and the face of Dom Pedro II.

A short historical excursion:

It was Dom Pedro II, who brought the photography to Brazil:

“..., o homem responsável pela vinda da fotografia para o Brasil foi o imperador D.Pedro II.”, in “Curso Prático de Fotografia – para iniciantes” by André Lima;

and:

“No Brasil, a fotografia ganhou um admirador dos mais ilustres desde o seu primeiro contato com o daguerreótipo, logo no ínicio de 1840: o imperador D.Pedro II. Ele foi, na verdade, mais do que um admirador. Foi também adepto, mecenas, colecionador e, sobretudo, responsável por grande parte do acervo relacionado ao assunto existente hoje em nosso páis.”, in “Poses e Trejeitos – A fotografia e as exposições na era do espetáculo (1839 – 1889)” by Maria Inez Turazzi.

and:

“Em março [ de 1840], D.Pedro II,[...]adquire um equipamento de daguerreotipia por 250 mil réis”, in “Poses e Trejeitos – A fotografia e as exposições na era do espetáculo (1839- 1889)” by Maria Inez Turazzi.

see here part 2!

and here part 3!

FUNNY PRESS CAMERAS!

2012-01-15T15:47:00.007-02:00

After I shot with my funny Agfa Press Camera, I had the idea to make some more outfits like the Agfa Press.
But now some funny Paparazzi outfits!

The first outfit is the Meikai AR-4367 with a Metz mecablitz 20BC6 and a "Canon EOS digital"-strap:

The second outfit is a pure Locostgraphy style outfit, which is composed of a Smena Symbol and a Tron S400 TCZ:

The third outfit is a heavy bomber! The Voigtländer Vitomatic II and the Mirage PRO 550 monster flash:

The last outfit is a serial killer in an everlasting bloodlust! It's the EXA 1b with the pentaprism and the rivet bomb back of the EXA 1c, the Porst 3.5/135mm with rubber lens hood, the Mirage PRO 550 and a Nikon strap:
I'm curious to shoot with these outfits! Here a wonderful video, which inspired me!

Here a very cool Weegee-like setup!!!

Momentos Duráveis

2012-01-05T13:02:00.002-02:00

"momentos duráveis", brasil, 2011

"Fabricio é um artesão da fotografia. Artesão no sentido de dominar, selecionar e cuidar de todo o processo. Realiza um trabalho com diversas fotografias que no percurso de sua história são significativas. Nascido na Alemanha, esse artista que mora em Dr. Pedrinho dialoga entre dois mundos, que para ele se tornam um, materializados na sua vida, na sua existência. Não deixa suas memórias lá, as trás para dialogarem com o que aqui vive e se coloca numa marca que deixa claro, são parte de sua identidade. Seu auto-retrato está presente, num grande quebra cabeça de fotos individuais que constituem um todo. O processo é tecnológico, mas não deixa por isso de ser artesanal, pois o artista cuida de cada detalhe que se encaixa."

por Carla Carvalho

In English:
"Fabricio is an artisan of photography. Artisan in terms of dominating, selecting and taking care of the entire process. He realizes an art work with different photographs, which are significant in his life's journey. Born in Germany, this artist, who lives in Dr. Pedrinho, dialogues between two worlds, which for him become one, materialized in his life, in his existence. He doesn't let his memories there, but they enter in dialogue to what he lives here and he points the way that makes clear, that they're a part of his identity. His self-portrait is present in a large puzzle of individual photos, which constitute a whole. The process is technological, but without to drop the artisanal aspect, because the artist takes care of every detail that fits."

by Carla Carvalho

DIY: A Notebook Frame

2012-01-03T13:17:00.011-02:00

I had the idea to use my old IBM Thinkpad 600E as a picture frame in 2009. I bought it used for 500 Euro in 2003 and in 2008 the HD drive or something else broke.
As you can see at the concept drawing, I wanted to use other pictures, but I put another picture into the notebook frame. Perhaps I'll do the original idea some day.

The only things what you need is double faced adhesive tape, a print in the right size of the screen (my print was a little too small, which looks a little bit ugly) and of course an old and/or broken notebook.

"Kunst kann nicht modern sein;...

2012-01-01T03:04:00.000-02:00

...Kunst ist urewig."

Egon Schiele

"happy day", germany/brasil, 2005/2012

The photographic palimpsest.

2011-12-30T15:21:00.037-02:00

"A palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word 'palimpsest' comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος (palímpsestos, 'scratched or scraped again') originally compounded from πάλιν (palin, 'again') and ψάω (psao, 'I scrape') literally meaning 'scraped clean and used again'."
Source: Wikipedia

I heard the first time from the term "palimpsest" as I participated in the Off_Camp project when I was at the University of Hanover, Germany. There a fellow student had the idea to use this technique for our work.
We made many drawings and used old book pages as paper. On the second photo you can see a drawing, which I made.

A cover of one of these books I've used some years ago for the photo collage "café brasil".

I was so excited about the palimpsest technique, that I wanted to use it for photography. Therefore in September 2005, when I started my photographic work, I had some ideas to print photos on old and used paper.

But with time I forgot the idea.

At the first meeting for the Mostra SESC de Arte Contemporânea - Aldeias: Mémorias e Identidades in September 2011, the curator Carla Carvalho showed us some examples of "fotografia contaminada" ("contaminated photography"), like the photos of Liu Bolin. She also said that my style would belong to the "fotografia contaminada".
I was very surprised, because I've never heard from this term. Later I searched in the internet and found the text "A fotografia contaminada como possibilidade nas poéticas artísticas contemporâneas" (see also here) by Karine Gomes Perez. She also wrote another text "As noções de contaminação , impureza e tensão no campo da fotografia contemporânea e na poética artística pessoal".
___

EDIT 02.01.12:
The theory of the contaminated photography shows, that photography itself, the traditional use of photography to just make pictures, isn't the only matter you can do with the photography.

Artists use photography to document their works of Land Art, Earth Art, Body Art, Happenings and Perfomances. This is why the pictures of these works become a part of it or become the proper art work.
Photographers and artists have got more possibilities and options to use their pictures in another context, for example in installations with other materials; or in the method to feature the pictures, for example to print pictures on glass, fabrics and other materials.
Good examples for this are Rosângela Rennó, Alexandre Sequerira and Luis Gonzalez Palma.

Another aspect is, to use another machine or thing as a camera, like a photocopier or a scanner.

The possibilities and options how to use photography are unlimited and the photography is approaching other art styles like the painting and video-art.
___

Another very interesting text, which I found, is "A gênese fotográfica" by Maria Gorete Dadalto Gonçalves.

In October 2011 I read an article in the news paper "Folha de S. Paulo" about "antifotografia", here the introduction:
"Na fotografia do século 21, não existe mais o instante decisivo. Está aposentada a noção clássica de autoria, e a realidade mergulha na ficção.
Expoentes dessa antifotografia misturam imagens alheias, manipulam registros documentais, resgatam arquivos esquecidos e defendem a destruição da foto."
___

EDIT 02.01.12:
In English: "The decisive moment doesn't exist more in the photography of the 21st century. The traditional notion of authorship is retired, and the reality drops into the fiction.
Exponentials of this anti-photography ('antifotografia') mix third-party pictures, manipulate documentary records [or: documentary pictures], rescue lost files [or: pictures] and protect the destruction of the picture."

The text shows the (photo) artists / photographers Doug Rickard and his Google pictures, Penelope Umbrico and her sunsets from Flickr, Cia de Foto and their pictures of the archive of Bom Retiro, Ivan Grilo and his family photographs, Pedro Victor Brandão who destroys pictures (slide film) with UV light, Alice Miceli and her "radioactive pictures" of Chernobyl, and Letícia Ramos with her blue and white pictues of North Pole.
___

The texts about "fotografia contaminada" and "antifotografia" awoke again my idea to use the palimpsest technique. Therefore I searched in the last days for old and used paper and I found them.

The most special piece is a german letter from 1947.
After the Second World War paper was very rare in Germany and the people used everything to write on it, for example old files and printed forms. The letter, I've used, is a newsletter from a gymnastics club and the supplement is a request for help to send paper, because the gymnastics club needed paper for new newsletters.

In fact this letter from 1947 is a palimpsest, because they used paper, which was a file or a printed form.

At the first picture of the Palimpsest Series I printed the photo on rough cardbord, then I stuck two laundry bills from a hotel in Bali, where I was in 2002, and a photo from a magazine on the picture and finally I ripped the bills and the magazine photo off:

"laundry bill" with the photo "my view 2010 #2"

For the second picture I've used a page from an old book. Some pages from this book I used for the Off_Camp drawing (see the picture above). The text of the book is in German and is about Jesus:

"von dem zwecke jesus" with the photo "the saint"

The third photo I've printed on an old german printed form in which the activity of an apprentice will be graded (I've once already used one of this printed forms for the photo collage "ausschnitt 1-3".):

"tätigkeitsbericht des lehrlings" with the photo "emancipate yourself from mental slavery"

The fourth photo is printed on an old photo, from the 1950s or 1960s, of a Great Uncle of mine. I think he was at the Battle of Stalingrad. First I thought that it's impossible to print on an old photo, but it works:
"dancing portrait" with the photo "dancers in the dark"

The next picture is the most expensive of the series. Just a joke, but in the years 1970 - 1986 this money, which I've used, had some value, but today it's just wastepaper. I've used 3 banknotes of 100 000 Cruzeiros, 2 banknotes of 5 000 Cruzeiros and one banknote of 1 000 Cruzeiros, in total a value of 311 000 Cruzeiros. Wow, I'm rich:

"cem mil cruzeiros" with the photo "the shadows"

The penultimate picture of the series is printed on the german letter from 1947, which I've already mentioned.

"drucksache" with the photo "einsame zweisamkeit"

I've printed the last picture on transparent drawing paper, on which I wrote some years ago my poem "utopia":
"utopia" with the photo "momentos de transição 02"

At the vernissage of the Mostra SESC de Arte Contemporânea - Aldeias: Mémorias e Identidades, Charles Steuck and Aline Assumpção talked with me about my work for this exhibition. They meant that something like this would be easier with photoshop than with older techniques. And of course, they're right, but to work without photoshop is another world! It's vague, but free!

But what is a photographic palimpsest? A photo collage? A sandwich?
Hmm maybe one of them, maybe both, maybe neither...

After the prints were dry, I put them into picture frames. But I've used old frames and each picture has got a own and unique frame, with a different size and design.

Crash Test Photography

2011-12-28T16:33:00.004-02:00

how to crash a meikai/canomatic camera! ;))

video by Ella N. Schmidt

Aldeia contemporânea - the contemporary village

2011-12-20T23:52:00.008-02:00

Today (20.12.2011) was a wonderful article in the newspaper Jornal de Santa Catarina (and here), more precisely in the column "Lazer", about the exhibition Mostra SESC de Arte Contemporânea - Aldeias: Mémorias e Identidades:

Yes the pictures, except the one of the artwork of Gláucia Maindra, are the ones, which I made for the Making-Of (part1 + part2).

Here a review of Furb TV about the exhibition!

SAVE THE STREET! SING FOR IT!

2011-12-13T20:37:00.022-02:00

"I only know how to approach a place by walking. For what does a street photographer do but walk and watch and wait and talk, and then watch and wait some more, trying to remain confident that the unexpected, the unknown, or the secret heart of the known awaits just around the corner."

Alex Webb

"Emotion or feeling is really the only thing about pictures I find interesting. Beyond that it is just a trick."

Christopher Anderson

"A large portion of my work is concerned with people because people are the most inventive and news-making part of our lives. Yet I am as much attracted to the evidence of their presence and efforts, whether good or evil, as I am to the people themselves."

Erich Hartmann

"To photograph the people of a great city is at once an awesome undertaking and a pleasant one. For the photographer neighborhoods and institutions and public events are only abstractions until the camera captures the individual people who breathe life into them. Going out into the city with a small camera and making hundreds of pictures of people doing hundreds of things is a dizzying odyssey. It's like gathering the bits of an intimate mosaic: even in thousands of photographs, it is impossible to fit all the bits together. They are fragments, suggestions of the myriad human moments in the daily life of a great city."

Constantine Manos

"street songs 01 - 22", brasil, 2011

The Vernissage of the Mostra SESC de Arte Contemporânea - Aldeias: Mémorias e Identidades

2011-12-12T20:53:00.070-02:00

Last Thursday was the vernissage of the Mostra SESC de Arte Contemporânea - Aldeias: Mémorias e Identidades.

Here're my pictures of this wonderful evening!

Pictures 01-07 + 38-71 taken with Kate equipped with a Helios 44M-4 2/58mm lens and a Mirage PRO 550 flash.
Pictures 08-37 taken with the FUNNY PRESS CAMERA.

The Locostgraphy style!

2011-12-11T16:40:00.012-02:00

In the last post I've talked about Locostgraphy. In this post I'm showing various combinations of Locostgraphy equipment or in other words the Locostgraphy style and the place I bought the stuff and how much I paid for it.

1.
camera (+ lens cap): Cosina 35 - place: Flea market, Hannover, Germany (2006) - price: 4 Euro
flash: Tron S400 TCZ - place: Flea market, Curitiba, Brazil (2011) - price: 30 Reais - approx. 12.50 Euro
strap: Com Lola - place: online store Com Lola, Brazil (2011) - price: 46 Reais - approx. 19 Euro
filter: Rowi Haze UV - place: Flea market, Hannover, Germany (2006) - price: 1 Euro
lens hood: rubber lens hood 46mm - place: Photo Dose, Hannover, Germany (2006) - price: 1 Euro
flash diffusor: DIY (2011) - price: 0 Euro

TOTAL PRICE: 37.50 Euro

2.
camera: Praktica LTL 3 - place: Rag shop, Curitiba, Brazil (2010) - price: 50 Reais - approx. 21 Euro
lens (+ lenscap): Helios 44M-4 2/58mm - place: Flea market, Hannover, Germany (2006) - price: 5 Euro
flash: Metz mecablitz 20BC6 - place: Garage sale, Hannover, Germany (2005) - price: 1 Euro
strap: Medion - place: Aldi, Hemer, Germany (2004) - price: approx. 5 Euro
buttons (6x): Miscellaneous - place: Flea market, Hannover, Germany (2003-06) + Sputnik, Hannover-Linden, Germany (2003-04) - price: approx. 6 Euro
camera leather: DIY (2011) - price: 0 Euro
handgrip: DIY (2010) - price: 0 Euro

TOTAL PRICE: 38 Euro

3.
camera: Porst FX4 (Praktica Nova 1B) - place: Flea market, Hannover, Germany (2005) - price: 10 Euro
lens: Paximat 4.5/80-200mm - place: Rag shop, Curitiba, Brazil (2010) - price: 50 Reais - approx. 21 Euro
flash: Mirage PRO 550 - place: Flea market, Curitiba, Brazil (2011) - price: 30 Reais - approx. 12.50 Euro
lens cap: Canon - place: Photo Hobby, Timbó, Brazil (2011) - price: 0 Euro
lens hood: Tokina - place: Photo Dose, Hannover, Germany (2006) - price: 1 Euro
camera leather: DIY (2011) - price: 0 Euro

TOTAL PRICE: 44.50 Euro

4.
camera: Porst Compact Reflex S (Cosina CSM) - place: Flea market, Hannover, Germany (2005) - price: 10 Euro
lens: Porst Color Reflex Auto 2.8/55mm - place: Flea market, Hannover, Germany (2005) - price: 3 Euro
filter: Porst SKY - place: Flea market, Hannover, Germany (2005) - price: 1 Euro
lens hood: rubber lens hood 49mm - place: Photo Dose, Hannover, Germany (2006) - price: 1 Euro
camera leather: DIY (2011) - price: 0 Euro
cable release: Porst 25cm - place: Flea market, Hannover, Germany (2005) - price: 1 Euro
tripod: Vanguard PT-180 - place: Saturn, Hannover, Germany (2005) - price: 19.90 Euro

TOTAL PRICE: 35.90 Euro

5.
camera: Zenit 12 PRO - place: Flea market, Curitiba, Brazil (2011) - price: 50 Reais - approx. 21 Euro
lens: DIY / Kodak Enlarging Ektar 4.5/75mm - place: Private sale, Blumenau, Brazil (2009) - price: 25 Reais - approx. 10.50 Euro
strap: Meikai (from the Meikai AR-4367) - place: Flea market, Hannover-Ahlem, Germany (2006) - price: approx. 0.50 Euro
strap pad: Ricoh (from the Ricoh TLS 401) - place: Flea market, Hannover, Germany (2005) - price: approx. 0.50 Euro
handgrip: DIY (2010) - price: 0 Euro

TOTAL PRICE: 32.50 Euro

TOTAL PRICE of all 5 Locostgraphy combinations: 188.40 Euro!!!

Locostgraphy.

2011-12-10T13:15:00.009-02:00

What means Locostgraphy?

I didn't create this term, but I've read it at the yahoo group Praktica Users Group Worldwide as they had a conversation about this post of my blog.
I was very happy that these guys have found my blog and I decided to join this group.

Now I don't want to repeat their explanation about the term Locostgraphy, but my point of view.

In 2005 as I started to photograph, I've got only a little compact digital camera with 5 Megapixel, which was a wonderful camera and I made wonderful pictures with it. But I wanted more, I wanted a more sophisticated camera, but my pocket book was very low.

So I went to flea markets and the first camera I've bought was a Zenit ET by Belomo with the Helios 44M-7 2/58mm lens for 15 Euro and a Revuenon Special 2.8/135mm lens for 10 Euro.
The Zenit was, as for many other people, my first SLR and I thought: Wow the camera rocks!

But I wanted more and bought many old cameras at flea markets.
A time ago I made a statistic about my equipment, for example "How many times I've used each camera?" and so on. And of course I've calculated how much I've invested in my cameras. I've bought up to that point 40 analog cameras and paid for them in total 479.49 Euro.

It's nearly 12 Euro for each camera, for the little compact digital camera with 5 Megapixel I paid 199 Euro, more than ten times than for a used analog camera.

Yes this is an explanation for the term Locostgraphy, because the expenses for the cameras were low.

But of course Locostgraphy is more than this. Namely, in relation to today, the technology of these old cameras can be low, but not necessarily. For their time they were up to date, but with the revolution of the digital cameras, these old analog cameras became old stuff, what explains the relatively low prices today.

Today you can buy a Pro-SLR from the 90s, what is almost the same as a modern Pro-DSLR, but of course with film, for little money. But is an old Pro-SLR a part of Locostgraphy?

In 2009 I've bought a Leica R4 with a Elmarit 2.8/35mm for 1300 Reais, approximate 540 Euro. For a Leica a low price and in comparison to a new Pro-DSLR it's a ridiculous amount, but remember I paid for 40 cameras 479.49 Euro.

Yes, at least now there is the question: Can (old/used) analog cameras compete with (new) digital cameras? The old battle Analog vs. Digital! Read my view to this battle here!

Today you can buy used analog cameras, but also new analog cameras, for example the Lomography stuff, these cameras are just lo-tech, but no lo-cost. Therefore you can make with these cameras Lotechgraphy with lo-tech effects, but for a high price.

Another part of Locostgraphy is the DIY-section. Of course DIY is always a lo-tech solution, but in comparison to the Lomography style, really lo-cost.

If you build DIY-lenses, for example DIY-macro lenses, you can easily create very cool effects, which are just as great as the Lomography effects, or better.

Another question is: Are digital cameras a part of Locostgraphy?

Yes of course! The first digital cameras, for example the Sony Mavica series, are now a part of Locostgraphy. The picture quality is almost the same, or even poorer, as by cheap and simple analog cameras, like the pocket- or instamatic-cameras. And the most important, the cameras are thrown at one on ebay and flea markets. I paid 5 Euro at a flea market for a 2Megapixel Canon PowerShot A200. I love this camera and use it very often.

The conclusion is, that Locostgraphy not necessarily means lo-tech, but that you get for little money a lot of camera! See here 5 combinations of the Locostgraphy style!

Finally, a wonderful quote by Man Ray:

"Two or three lights [for greater speed in working], any lens on a light-tight box [no progress has been made in cameras since their invention], and a bottle of developer, are sufficient for the realization of the most convincing image."

The Mind Jacker style in a photographic coursebook!

2011-12-09T11:05:00.004-02:00

There is a wonderful project called "Ponto de Cultura: Fotografia para todos", which educates the public, particularly pupils and teachers of public schools, about photography.
Here the page of this project.

For that reason exists a small coursebook and because I know the persons behind this project I gave them some pictures for this book. I'm very proud to have got the chance to participate with some pictures at this project.

Yes, the picture at the bottom on the right is mine.
I shot it with a simple Instamatic camera (Kodak Instamatic 233) on expired Agfa HDC+200 film:

"on request rain", brasil, 2007

Making-of: Mostra SESC de Arte Contemporânea - PART 2

2011-12-09T02:05:00.023-02:00

Yesterday was the wonderful vernissage of Mostra SESC de Arte Contemporânea - Aldeias: Mémorias e Identidades.
But before I'll post pictures of it, I'm showing now two works, which are missing in the post about the assembly. The pictures of the vernissage will come next week, because I shot only black&white analog pictures and I need develop them.

The Portuguese text is written by Carla Carvalho, the curator of the exhibition.

Beliria Boni:

"Belíria cria os “urbanóides”. Sujeitos feitos em estruturas de arame com sacolas plásticas enroladas, num grito ecológico, marca da artista."

Suzana Sedrez:

"Suzana fala do poder, aquilo que especialmente está representado pelo “falo”, que na forma masculina transita nas diversas esferas de nossa sociedade. Sua obra é questionadora e revela suas perguntas acerca da condição do homem e da mulher na sociedade. "

ALL OF 20

2011-12-08T10:13:00.003-02:00

"momentos duráveis", brasil, 2011

see a text about the work here!

20 OF 20

2011-12-07T10:38:00.001-02:00

19 OF 20

2011-12-06T17:35:00.001-02:00

Making-of: Mostra SESC de Arte Contemporânea

2011-12-06T16:43:00.077-02:00

Today was the assembly of the Mostra SESC de Arte Contemporânea - Aldeias: Mémorias e Identidades which will start on Thursday!

The Portuguese text is written by Carla Carvalho, the curator of the exhibition.

Here're some making-of pictures:

Some pictures of Carla Carvalho:

Jamil the mastermind:

Gogo Casas:

"Gogo Casas apresenta um conjunto de ninhos, feitos em cerâmica em pesquisas que materializam seu envolvimento físico no processo de elaboração das obras. Marcam um trabalho no qual a artista cria e se recria no processo de elaboração artística."

Rosina de Franceschi:

"Rosina nos pergunta sobre o que nos serviram nos momentos de refeição. Além do alimento físico, com o que nossa aldeia nos alimenta, ou alimentou? Faz uma pesquisa com pessoas que escrevem em pratos e com eles elabora uma instalação."

Gláucia Maindra:

"Gláucia é uma pesquisadora dos modos, dos jeitos das pessoas pensarem. Visita e registra banheiros públicos de terminais urbanos, e como antropóloga investiga e apresenta indagações que estão em sua mente acerca de porque as pessoas escrevem nesses locais e mais, como são essas pessoas."

Pri Brazuna:

"Priscila é uma jovem artista, que pesquisa o desenho como linguagem que dialoga com fotografias. Não é nascida aqui, no entanto percebe na arquitetura elementos que se relacionam a sua cidade, com isso aldeias dialogam e territórios se ampliam."

Marco Struve:

"Marco é um pesquisador dos processos artísticos. Explora nesse trabalho identidades diversas, escolhidas ao acaso, parte do processo de apropriação de materiais de revelação. Utiliza registros de imagens fotográficas feitas por outras pessoas e com eles cria novo sentido."

Fabricio Schmidt:

"Fabrício realiza um trabalho com diversas fotografias que no percurso de sua história são significativas. Nascido na Alemanha, esse artista dialoga entre “dois mundos”, que para ele se tornam um, materializados na sua vida, na sua existência."

see the full text here!

See Part 2!

18 OF 20

2011-12-05T12:58:00.002-02:00

17 OF 20

2011-12-04T13:28:00.001-02:00

16 OF 20

2011-12-03T13:05:00.001-02:00

15 OF 20

2011-12-02T13:27:00.001-02:00

Mostra SESC de Arte Contemporânea - Aldeias: Mémorias e Identidades

2011-12-02T12:53:00.006-02:00

A Casa SESC, abre próxima semana, dia 08 às 20h a Mostra SESC de Arte Contemporânea - Aldeias: Mémorias e Identidades, com curadoria de Carla Carvalho.

Convido a todos, com muito carinho!

Venha prestigiar!

Os artistas: Belíria Boni, Fabricio Schmidt, Gláucia Maindra, Gogo Casas, Marco Antonio Struve, Pri Brazuna, Rosina de Franceschi e Suzana Sedrez.

Vernissage:
Thursday, 08.12.2011, 20:00

Opening hours:
09.12.2011 - 30.01.2012
(break: 23.12.2011 - 02.01.2012)
Monday - Friday, 10:30 - 19:30

Location:
Casarão do SESC
Rua Getúlio Vargas, 227 - Centro
Blumenau - SC
Brasil

SESC CULTURA Programação Dezembro 2011

2011-12-01T21:26:00.000-02:00

14 OF 20

2011-12-01T13:17:00.001-02:00

13 OF 20

2011-11-30T11:23:00.002-02:00

12 OF 20

2011-11-29T22:26:00.001-02:00

NightLight...

2011-11-29T20:01:00.024-02:00

Last friday was the "Projeção Mapeada de Natal na fachada da Fundação Cultural de Blumenau".
I was invited by Gláucia Maindra, the official photographer of the Fundação Cultural de Blumenau, to photograph with her this event.

I used Kate, my favorite camera for time exposure, equipped with a Porst 2.8/55mm with sky-filter, a Porst MC 1.7/50mm and a Porst 3.5/135mm. The film was a Fuji Superia XTRA 400. And of course I used a tripod and cable release. For the portrait of Gláucia I used the Porst MC 1.7/50mm and a Tron S400 TCZ flash with a diffusor.

I think 30 seconds was a little bit too long to capture the single light effects at the light show. Some pictures are double exposures.

Muito obrigado Gláucia!

11 OF 20

2011-11-28T13:35:00.001-02:00

10 OF 20

2011-11-23T14:51:00.002-02:00

Pretexto at the finish line!

2011-11-22T13:39:00.012-02:00

Today was the last meeting before the Pretexto exhibition will start on 8th of december.

I made a test-collage with the same size (50x60cm) of my work, a photo collage out of 20pictures, to check out which effect my work will have on the wall:

I think this light is very good, 'cause it's like a spot light:

Here the test-collage, which is made of 20 10x15/15x10cm c-prints:

On 6th of december will be the assembly of the exhibition and of course I'll made pictures of it!

"Everything shifts as you move,...

2011-11-20T15:52:00.002-02:00

...and different things come into focus at different points of your life, and you try to articulate that."

Chris Steele-Perkins

"obscene", germany/brasil, 2005/2008

9 OF 20

2011-11-19T20:50:00.001-02:00

“Sometimes I am thinking as I shoot,...

2011-11-16T15:12:00.002-02:00

...but the best photos are brought about when I am not thinking about anything - when my mind is empty of thought. When I am intently concentrated, I feel nothing of myself.”

Rinko Kawauchi

"momentos de silencio 1+2", brasil, 2011

8 OF 20

2011-11-13T21:42:00.001-02:00

7 OF 20

2011-11-10T13:19:00.002-02:00

"Ultimately photography is about who you are. ...

2011-11-05T13:39:00.005-02:00

...It's the seeking of truth in relation to yourself. And seeking truth becomes a habit."

Leonard Freed

"sitting in the kitchen", brasil, 2011

The field test - part 4

2011-11-05T13:21:00.009-02:00

lens: Revuenon Special 2.8/35mm REVERSE
camera: Ricoh TLS 401
film: Fuji Superia XTRA 400
exposure time: 1/1000
aperture: 2.8

6 OF 20

2011-11-02T20:55:00.003-02:00

DIY: genuine leather for your old Praktica!

2011-10-30T17:20:00.018-02:00

Last friday I felled with my Stihl 051 AVEQ some trees in my garden. After the work I recognized that the soles of my Viposa safety boots were broken. Okay they're old and I've got the same boots twice. I considered what I can do now with the boots, because the leather is still good and has got a wonderful patina. So I cut the leather from the sole and made today a new "leather bra" for my Porst FX 4 aka Praktica Nova 1B, because the Porst/Praktica doesn't have a real leather, just this faux leather or whatever.
The "new" leather is thick but very smooth, it's a dream! But I've made some little mistakes at the processing. It was my first time to work with genuine leather.

5 OF 20

2011-10-29T17:26:00.003-02:00

4 OF 20

2011-10-25T12:45:00.003-02:00

135mm - My favorite lens!

2011-10-23T16:16:00.030-02:00

Many photographers have got favorite lenses. Some of them prefer prime lenses like a 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm, 200mm, 300mm, 400mm or other ones; other photographers prefer zoom-lenses.
I love prime lenses and the 135mm is my darling. I have got 5 of them for M42/screw mount:
_ Revuenon Special 2.8/135mm (made in Japan)
_ Revuenon MC alias Enna München Tele-Ennalyt MC 2.8/135mm (made in W. Germany)
_ Porst Tele 3.5/135mm (made in Japan)
_ Porst Tele alias Enna München Tele-Ennalyt 3.5/135mm (made in W. Germany)
_ Exaktar SFX 2.8/135mm

The 135mm is perfect for portrait photography, but also for snapshots on the street and detail pictures of plants and other attractive things. You can photograph with the 135mm from near and far, which makes the lens very versatile.
Many of my favorite pictures I made with the 135mm-lenses. I'm using often the 135mm-lenses for street and sometimes for details. And of course in combination with a flash at events or in dark woods.
Here are some camera-135mm-lens-combinations and the photos:

1. Porst FX4 (Praktica Nova 1B) + Revuenon Special 2.8/135mm

"einsame zweisamkeit", germany, 2005

"a santa", brasil, 2010

2. Praktica LTL 3 + Porst Tele 3.5/135mm

"emancipate yourself from mental slavery", brasil, 2010

3. Zenit 12 PRO + Porst Tele 3.5/135mm

"my view 2010 #2", brasil, 2010

4. Praktica LTL 3 + Exaktar SFX 2.8/135mm

"eat my shorts", brasil, 2010

5. Zenit ET + Revuenon MC alias Enna München Tele-Ennalyt MC 2.8/135mm

"study #2", germany, 2006

6. Praktica LTL 3 + Porst Tele alias Enna München Tele-Ennalyt 3.5/135mm

"ich will mein leben zurück", brasil, 2010

7. Porst Compact Reflex S + Revuenon Special 2.8/135mm + Tron S400TCZ

"momentos de transição 2", brasil, 2011

8. Praktica LTL 3 + Revuenon MC alias Enna München Tele-Ennalyt MC 2.8/135mm + Metz mecablitz 20BC6

"fern", brasil, 2010

3 OF 20

2011-10-22T13:30:00.002-02:00

"When I photograph,...

2011-10-21T13:17:00.004-02:00

...I try to use my instincts as much as possible. It is when pictures are unconsidered and irrational that they come to life; that they evolve from showing to being."

Jacob Aue Sobol

"sitting bird", brasil, 2011

The field test - part 3

2011-10-21T12:41:00.023-02:00

1.
lens: Schneider Kreuznach Componon 5.6/80mm
camera: Praktica LTL 3
film: Fuji Superia XTRA 400
exposure time: 1/1000
aperture: 11

2.
lens: ICA Macro 6.8/135mm
camera: Praktica LTL 3
film: Fuji Superia XTRA 400
exposure time: 1/250
aperture: 6.8

DIY: A Pancake Focus Free Lens!

2011-10-20T16:53:00.023-02:00

What, a pancake lens and at the same time a focus free lens?
Yes, more or less.
I built it out of the barrel of the Exaktar SFX 135 and the front glass from the Biokor-S 1.9/45mm lens from the Beauty Lite III.
I taped the both parts with scotch tape together, but it's better to use black tape for it, 'cause the normal scotch tape isn't impermeable to light. But if you use the normal scotch tape, the pictures got a really good light effect!

For the first pictures I used the DIY-Pancake Focus Free Lens with the Praktica LTL3 and the Fuji Superia XTRA 400 film. aperture: 1.9 - exposure time: 1/1000.

2 OF 20

2011-10-17T20:44:00.004-02:00

"Ein Spiel mit ernsten Problemen. ...

2011-10-15T20:09:00.003-03:00

... Das ist Kunst."

Kurt Schwitters

"sua pele, dias depois de..." ("your skin, days after..."), brasil, 2008

1 OF 20

2011-10-15T11:41:00.003-03:00

DIY: A PRESS CAMERA

2011-10-12T11:28:00.014-03:00

I love these old press cameras like the Graflex Speed Graphic and the Plaubel Makina!
But I want to have a funny and perhaps ironic version of a press camera.

For that reason I've wanted to use an old, simple, small and popular camera like the Agfa Silette from 1954. Of course you need some things to pimp a simple camera. And here we go!
I think the key features of a press camera are the big handheld flashgun and the frame or sports finder.

Some months ago I bought a big Mirage Pro 550, this flashgun is really a monster and perfect for this project! You can find these handheld flashguns for some bucks at ebay, today nobody wants these heavy things.
The frame/sports finder I made out of a part from my old ICA and a piece of wood.

Here pictures taken with the funny press camera!

Other funny press cameras here!

DIY: A "Continental 2001" picture frame part2

2011-10-08T13:58:00.013-03:00

Yes once more a picture frame out of the old Continental 2001 gas range! See here part 1!
Now I've used the front glass of the gas range, which is smaller as the other glass part, but certainly heavy, too.

I've put a photo-collage out of self-portraits, which I made in 2006 with my Voigtländer Vitomatic II and Agfa Silette (Agfa Apotar 1:3.5/45mm and Pronto shutter), into the frame.

"A photograph is a subjective impression. ...

2011-10-07T13:17:00.001-03:00

... It is what the photographer sees. No matter how hard we try to get into the skin, into the feeling of the subject or situation, however much we empathize, it is still what we see that comes out in the images, it is our reaction to the subject and in the end, the whole corpus of our work becomes a portrait of ourselves."

Marilyn Silverstone

"red and black", germany, 2005

The rejected concepts.

2011-10-04T14:35:00.010-03:00

In 2009 I participated in the Pretexto Contemporâneo exhibition of the SESC Blumenau and this year I'll participate in the Pretexto do Vale of the SESC Blumenau.
The first meeting with the other artists and the curator was on september 24th, 2011 and today was the second meeting, where the artists presented their portfolios and possible concepts for the exhibition.
I made two concepts, but we decided that they aren't strong enough, that something is missing.
Okay, I'll reflect about another concept and hope that this will be better.

Here are the two rejected concepts:

_ concept A1 - "Home is where your heart is":

_ concept A2:

_ concept B1:
_ concept B2:

The ZEN Camera!

2011-09-23T14:24:00.006-03:00

I bought this TOMA M-800 from a female Chinese fellow student when I studied landscape architecture at the University of Hannover, Germany.
It's a simple point'n'shoot camera out of plastic with a simple glass lens. Colorably the lens is made in Japan, but the whole camera looks and feels like a real Chinese camera.
But the special thing of this camera is that she is ZEN motorized.
Does that mean that the camera has got a motor (winder) that meditates when it transports the film? The motor or the camera itself meditates about the picture?
Yes, that's very strange ;)
Of course I searched in the internet, but there is nothing about the Toma. The only thing I've found is about a Toma M-616 and about a M-618.
This statement is very good: "La production TOMA ne me semble pas pléthorique, cette marque est voire même confidentielle."

I didn't use the camera often, just 3 times. But I tried to meditate when I shot pictures with the Toma.

"wirrwarr 2", germany, 2005

"between waters 2", brasil, 2007

That's ZEN PHOTOGRAPHY! ;)

The MACRO effect with an old ICA-lens! part 2!

2011-09-22T17:57:00.017-03:00

Today macro pictures of magnolias! See part 1.

lens: ICA Macro 6.8/135mm
camera: Zenit 12 PRO
film: Fuji Superia XTRA 400
exposure time: 1/250
aperture: 6.8

The world peace with an old Kodak-lens! part 2!

2011-09-22T17:31:00.024-03:00

In part 1 I've shown pictures which I took with the Kodak-Helios lens and the Praktica LTL3. Today some pictures which I took with the Kodak-Helios lens and the Zenit 12 PRO. Now we can see, that the cold war is finally over! That's a real Perestroika!

film: Fuji Superia XTRA 400
exposure time: 1/500
aperture: 4.5

DIY: A tarpaulin leather

2011-09-18T13:33:00.017-03:00

Everybody knows the bags from Freitag and Ortlieb, which are made out of used truck tarpaulins. This material is robust, tough and water-repellent.
I didn't have an old truck tarpaulin, but I have got a tarpaulin from a broken AS-MOTOR 21-165/3 lawn mower.

I've used this material for a new leather for my Praktica LTL3.

DIY: A taped camera

2011-09-17T15:16:00.010-03:00

Many people taped their cameras to hide the camera name or the chrome parts.
But I taped my Porst Compact Reflex S (made by Cosina) to replace the old leather. The tape is in fact for table tennis bats and is from Schöler&Micke. I've already used this tape at my Praktica LTL3.

At the back of the camera I put the Kate Moss portrait by Richard Avedon for the cK be campaign from 1996.

"For me, there are two important elements in photography:...

2011-09-12T16:19:00.008-03:00

... Time and Truth. Time is sealed as it were. Photos cannot be repeated. They are set forever in a moment in time. Truth is what we are seeking in art. My photos convey what I believe is my truth, expressed through my ability as an artist. You are seeing exactly what I saw."

Leonard Freed

"momentos de jogo", brasil, 2011

DIY: A Rivet Bomb Exa

2011-08-29T13:16:00.022-03:00

Do you want a camera in the style of B.A. Baracus from the A-Team?
Yes, you want the bad attitude look!

Okay, you just need an old rivet belt.
I used an old belt from H&M, which was wasted. First I removed the rivets from the belt. I thought that I might put the rivets on the old leather from my EXA 1c, but this is very difficult.
So I had an other idea.
First I painted the body with red color, next I glued pieces of the belt on the body.
Admittedly it looks strange...

"I love it when a plan comes together!"

DIY: A Wood Plate Frame 2

2011-08-24T16:24:00.025-03:00

Today once more a wood frame. It's quasi the same procedure as the first wood frame.
But now I used a router to shape an immersion into the wood. And as a substitute for a glass plate I used a plastic plate from a cake wrap.

You can use the wood shavings as a fertilizer for your plants.

I've put the picture "back at home" into the frame:

"Now that everyone in the developed world seems...

2011-08-21T16:22:00.002-03:00

...to own some form of camera, a different space has opened for documentary photographers. It's a space free from specific events, where there are different expectations, where it is first and foremost about ideas. Now we can all take pictures, with varying degrees of consistency, more than ever before it's about what we do with photography."

Mark Power

"die szene bewölkt sich", germany, 2005/06

"Photography...

2011-08-21T16:06:00.002-03:00

...helps people to see."

Berenice Abbott

"looking and waiting", germany, 2005